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North Central College
Most applicants get into North Central College — 77.3% were admitted — so the real questions are cost, fit and outcomes, covered below.
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North Central College sits in Naperville proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. The school maintains its United Methodist affiliation, which threads through campus life to a degree that varies by program.
Its highest-earning path is Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, where graduates median $105,350 four years out. Faculty pay averages $108,900 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 2,428 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 77.1% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1065 and 1280 — above the IL middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on North Central College's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
North Central College is test-optional: scores are considered when submitted but not required. The 1065–1280 range below describes admitted students who chose to submit — typically North Central College's stronger testers — so treat it as the higher end of what gets in.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 535 | 570 | 650 |
| SAT Math | 530 | 580 | 630 |
| ACT Composite | 23 | 25 | 27 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
In the Fall 2023 cycle, North Central College received 5,241 applications and admitted 3,056 (58.3%), with 516 enrolling.
How North Central College compares
| North Central College | Illinois median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 77.3% | 77% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $45,726 | $31,360 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $60,123 | $58,572 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median North Central College student earns $60,123 — 3% above the Illinois median of $58,572 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
North Central College lists tuition at $45,726 for everyone — private schools don't do residency pricing. North Central College's sticker and net price can differ sharply after aid; treat $45,726 as the ceiling, not the bill.
North Central College enrolls 2,428 undergraduates — mid-sized, with the trade-offs North Central College's scale implies: more programs than a small college, more anonymity too.
64% graduate within six years. Roughly 36% don't — ask a North Central College tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Top majors by earnings at North Central College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $105,350 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $81,562 |
| Economics | $80,494 |
| Computer Science | $79,877 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $78,125 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | $71,555 |
| Marketing | $71,123 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | $68,750 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $65,992 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $60,573 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $60,018 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $57,424 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $57,192 |
| Sociology | $56,281 |
| Psychology, General | $52,062 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $51,247 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $51,018 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $49,224 |
| Music | $46,744 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $46,605 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $45,838 |
Median earnings for these 21 North Central College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $60,123 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 37 additional North Central College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for North Central College?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1065–1280 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 77.3% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is North Central College's acceptance rate?
58.3% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 3,056 admitted from 5,241 applicants.
How much does North Central College cost?
At North Central College, published tuition is $45,726 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is North Central College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do North Central College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $60,123 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Illinois
- North Park University — 68.5% admitted
- Northern Illinois University — 69.8% admitted
- Northeastern Illinois University — 74.6% admitted
- Moody Bible Institute — 82.7% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.